Chris Colfer's children's book 'The Land of Stories' gets a cover and an earlier release date! -- EXCLUSIVE

Gleeks already know that Chris Colfer can take us to magical places with his voice, and now he’s using words and pictures to create a fantasy world in his upcoming children’s book The Land of Stories, illustrated by Brandon Dorman. Kurt fans who’ve been anxiously awaiting the book, originally slated for an Aug. 7 release, won’t have to wait as long as they’d thought. A rep for Little Brown said, “Chris’s writing talents, his efficiency with deadlines, and the eagerness from his fans has all combined to allow us to move the date up to July 17th!”

Described as a “modern-day fairy tale,” the book will focus on twins Alex and Conner, who leave the real world behind and find themselves in a land where they come face-to-face with the fairy-tale characters – witches, goblins, trolls – they’ve always read about. Colfer says the book’s illustrator “made every detail come to life. He went above and beyond the crayon and colored pencil drawings I used to make of it as a kid.” Check out the very first peek at the cover of The Land of Stories below!